Article construction



March 15, 1949 w. EVANS ET AL ,4 2 ARTICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 20, 1945 M44444 .2: EMA/5,

52/43 Bum/c IN V EN TORS 4 III A rroe/vex Patented Mar. 15, 1949 2,464,743 ARTICLE CONSTRUCTION William I. Evans, Los Angeles, and Elias Blanco,

South Gate, Calif.

Application April 20, 1945, Serial No. 589,390

This invention relates to a method of joining two elements without the use of nails, screws, and the like, and particularly to a method of joining the legs or supporting posts of furniture to the horizontal fiat or shelf portions thereof. The invention is particularly applicable to wall brackets wherein the vertical posts have a fiat surface adapted to contact a wall, the remaining surface of the posts having a curved configuration. The brackets may have single or multiple vertical supports with single or multiple shelves.

In storing and in the shipping of assembled furniture, the space required is determined by the outside dimensions of the articles, regardless of the interior space. That is, the space required by the articles in assembled form compared with the space required by the unassembled sections of the articles varies considerably, and in some instances, is in the'ratio of ten to one. Therefore, if a rapid and satisfactory method and means of assembling articles of furniture were available, a great saving may be made in the cost of transporting such articles from one place to another, and in the cost of storing them.

The present invention is directed to such a method of and means for assembling articles, particularly furniture, in which one side abuts or contacts a flat surface, such as a wall. The invention is illustrated in connection with a bracket adapted to be hung on a wall.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the construction and assembling of fabricated articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of constructing furniture and the like.

.A further object of the invention is to provide an improvedfabricated article construction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of and means for assembling two elements without the use of nails, screws, or other fastening devices.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, the manner of its organization and the mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a simple form of Wall bracket or shelf embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a section of the wall bracket shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 2-2 thereof, and

3 Claims. (Cl. 287-20) Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the wall bracket of Fig. 1, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. I

Referring now to the drawings, in which the same numerals identify the same elements, two upright posts 5 and 6 support a shelf 1. The posts 5 and 6 may be turned to have any desired decorative configuration and may be provided with hanging eyelets I0 and II. The vertical supports 5 and 6 may be formed by turning, after which a longitudinal section is sawed to one side of its center. The shelf 1 may be of any desired configuration and is drilled at the back edge thereof for the insertion of the posts 5 and 6. More than one shelf may be attached to the posts, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

As further shown in Fig. 2, the portions of the posts l2 and I 3 above and below the point of jointure I5, are of a larger diameter than the contacting portion, and, as shown in Fig. 3, the opening to the hole in the shelf between the points a and b is less than the diameter of the hole. This opening to the hole is referred to in the claims as the mouth of the opening. Also,

the diameter of the portion 15 of the post is greater than the distance from a to 1).

Thus, to attach the post to the shelf, it is only necessary to insert the post 5 sidewise into the hole in the shelf. That is, the post is moved into the hole when the fiat section of the post is substantially perpendicular to the back edge of the shelf. The post is then rotated until it assumes the position shown in Fig.3, a tight joint thus being formed between the two elements. This method of attachment will function as long as the inside diameter ofthe hole and the outside diameter of the post are the same, or substantially so, the distance between d and c is less than the distance between a and b, and the diameter of the post is greater-than the distance between a and b. This type of joint may be used for joining elements of different materials, such as wood, plastic, metal, etc., and any number of shelves may be attached to a single supporting post element, as long as the above method of construction is followed. Although a preferred proportioning of post and shelf elements is illustrated in the drawings, it is to be understood that the flat side of the post may be narrower and the hole may have a smaller opening.

From the above description, it is obvious that articles of furniture, especially wall brackets with the sections constructed as illustrated, may be quickly assembled by anyone. If a permanent joint is desired, it is only necessary to use glue the articles may be rapidly assembled by anyone 1 without carpenter skill. I

We claim as our invention: 1. The method of making a joint between a post and a shelf to be supported by said post and of joining said post to said shelf, comprising forming an opening at the edge of said shelf, said opening having a substantially cylindrical internal surface extending through an angle of over 180 degrees and to the edge of said shelf, said shelf having fiat, parallel surfaces on each side of said opening perpendicular to the axis of said opening, forming on a portion of said post a cylindrical portion having an outside diameter substantially that of the internal diameter of said opening, the external surface of said cylindrical portion being in contact with the internal surface of said opening when said post is joined to said shelf, certain remaining portions of said post having greater cross-sectional areas than said cylindrical portion, removing a longitudinal section on said cylindrical portion of said post parellel with the axis of said post, said cylindrical portion of said post having an external surface extending for an angular distance of over 180 degrees, inserting the cylindrical portion of said post in the entrance to said opening by relatively moving the narrow dimension of said cylindrical portion into said opening until said cylindrical portion is coaxially disposed with respect to said opening, and relatively rotating said post and shelf with respect to one another until the surface of said removed section of said cylindrical portion closes the entrance to said opening.

2. A fabricated article comprising a substantially flat sided element having an opening therein, said opening having a substantially cylindrical internal surface extending through an angle of over 180 degrees to the edge of said element, said element having a flat, parallel surface on each side of said opening perpendicular to the axis of said opening, and an elongated element having a partially cylindrical portion in said opening, the surface of said cylindrical portion contacting the internal surface of said opening, portions on each side of said partially cylindrical portion having cross-sectional areas greater than the crosssectional area of said partially cylindrical portion, one transverse dimension of said partially cylin- 4 drical portion being greater than the length of the mouth of said opening, and another transverse dimension being less than the length of the mouth of said opening, the cylindrical surface of said partially cylindrical portion extending for an angular distance of over degrees and contacting the internal surface of said opening, the surface of the incomplete section of said partially cylindrical portion spanning the mouth to said opening. I i v i 3. The method of making a joint between two elements and joining said elements, comprising forming an opening at one edge of the first of said elements, said element having at least one surface perpendicular to the axis of said opening and surrounding said opening, said opening having a substantially cylindrical, internal surface extending through an angle of over 180 degrees to the edge of said element, the mouth of said opening at the edge of i said element having a length less than the diameter of said opening, forming on an elongated element a substantially cylindrical portion, the surface of ,.which is adapted to make contact with said internal surface of said first element when said elements are joined, said cylindrical portion having a surface extending for an angular distance of over 180 degrees, said cylindrical portion being incomplete along a longitudinal section thereof to provide a transverse dimension of said portion less than the length of the mouth of said opening at the edge of said first element, and joining said elements by positioning the axis of said opening parallel with the axis of said cylindrical portion of said elongated element, positioning said cylindrical portion adjacent the mouth of said opening, introducing said cylindrical portion into said opening while maintaining said axes parallel, moving said elongated element until said axes are in coincidence, and rotating said elongated element until said cylindrical portion closes the mouth of said opening.

WILLIAM I. EVANS. ELIAS BLANCO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 422,712 Burch Mar. 4, 1890 462,500 Miles Nov. 3, 1891 571,575 Norwood Nov. 17, 1896 1,010,702 Stewart Dec. 5, 1911 1,803,227 Beacher Apr. 28, 1931 2,208,234 Welch July 16, 1940 2,233,719 Vandervald Mar. 4, 1941 2,383,938 MacKenzie Sept. 4, 1945 

